


Oh Hell, Why Not!

by lds



Category: Bobbsey Twins - Laura Lee Hope
Genre: As Adults, Bisexual Character, M/M, Minor Violence, POV Third Person Limited, Post Book(s), Slash, Yuletide 2011, Yuletide Treat, off-screen violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-24
Updated: 2011-12-24
Packaged: 2017-10-28 00:48:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/301915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lds/pseuds/lds
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Now all grown up, Danny trying to put the misdeeds of his childhood behind him. Some people had trouble letting go, though not necessarily the ones he most expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Oh Hell, Why Not!

**Author's Note:**

  * For [amalcolm](https://archiveofourown.org/users/amalcolm/gifts).



> Confession time. In many ways this is probably my first fandom. Since I was a child I've been composing stories about the twins, this is just the first time I've allowed one to leave my head. I hope you enjoy.
> 
> Thank you to elyn for her invaluable assistance in getting the story in shape. All remaining mistakes are mine.

Danny Rugg stood with a longer than usual succession of over-turned shot glasses in front of him. As he studied the latest in the line to be downed, he stole looks at the dark-haired man standing at the end of the bar. Tall, broad-shouldered, attractive, but not overtly so; he would be Danny's type under normal circumstances, except there was nothing normal about them.

The guy had come in with somebody else, but given the other man's behavior on the dance floor, Danny assumed they weren't _together_ together -- unless there was an interesting kink in their relationship. Danny's mind shied away from that idea; his brain just couldn't handle it.

Giving himself a mental shake, Danny turned his attention back to the untouched tequila shot in front of him. The bartender's low chuckle told him his once-over hadn't been quite as hidden as he had hoped. He shot the guy a wry look before grabbing the shot and downing it. A simple wave of the hand got him another.

"As a semi-regular, I shouldn't have to tell you this," the bartender said, as he poured another shot. "The prices here are based on the idea that guys coming in here are looking to hook up, or at least dance their asses off. If you're just here to get drunk, you can do that much cheaper down at Riley's Pub."

Danny gave a derisive snort. "Does your boss know you're suggesting other places to his customers?"

This time it was the bartender's turn to give a snort. "I _am_ the owner, so I'll just chastise myself later. Of course, you might just be drinking to get up the nerve to hit on that guy who's turned away everyone who's tried it on so far away. If that's the case, my booze, though pricier, is still the best choice. Riley's is only acceptable if you're looking to be best buds."

Danny laughed. The very idea that he and Bert Bobbsey could be friends of any sort, let alone the best of, amused him to no end. Not that the bartender-cum-owner had any idea how crazy that was. Jerking his head in Bert's direction he explained, "We have history, a kind of nasty history, where I'm the bad guy, and rightfully so. He's too damn nice for his own good, but not to me."

Danny was so caught up in the entertainment of the best friend idea that he failed to notice that his laughter had caught the attention of those around him, including the current topic of conversation. This meant that he didn't see Bert's eyes widen in recognition, then narrow as the jerk of Danny's head gave away the fact that they were talking about him. The bartender must have noticed, however, which finally got Danny's attention, and that was the only reason he didn't jump when Bert said right in his ear, "I don't know what lies he's been telling you about me, but I wouldn't pay any attention to whatever it is he's saying."

The bartender gave a little chuckle at Danny's startled look at being caught. "Man, he was just saying you're a real nice guy."

Bert rolled his eyes and darted a look over his shoulder, presumably checking his friend's location, before turning back and saying, "I somehow highly doubt that."

Danny gave a little sigh -- apparently they did just have an odd kink -- then thought a moment before retaliating. "Actually, I was complaining that I come to the city to _avoid_ running into the local riffraff, and then you walked in."

Bert grunted and took a sip of his beer before replying. "That sounds more like you, though if anyone should be calling anyone riffraff..."

Danny was leaning on the bar, much like Bert, except Danny was facing the barman, chin resting on his hand, while Bert was now turned towards Danny, one arm propped on the bar. He seemed to be brooding about whether to respond further to Danny's insult, but Danny was just taking in Bert's appearance.

It wasn't often that he was up close and personal with Bert, these days; they had left the years of physical brawls behind them. The man was attractive even with a sour look on his face. Still, Danny thought his long eyelashes and pouty lips were rather wasted on a man – even though a few flashes of how to make use of those lips flickered across his mind. And he supposed it was wrong that he found the scar just above Bert's right eyebrow sexy, since he was the one that put it there, but dammit it, it really was.

Standing and straightening out his shirt, Danny leaned well into Bert's personal space and said, "Careful now, or you'll ruin that nice guy image I've gone and cultivated for you."

Bert pursed his lips as he started to respond, but the words never got a chance to escape. Danny's eyes had been focused on Bert's mouth, and the motion, along with the possibility that he was more drunk on those tequila shots than he'd thought, had him moving forward to capture those same lips in a kiss.

The gasp of surprise, though not unexpected, was welcome, as it afforded Danny the opportunity to deepen the kiss. He might be dead soon, and even if he lived through the experience, he knew he'd never get another, so he fully intended to make the most of it.

* * *

  
The problem, Danny realized, as he sat at the lunch counter staring at his meal, was that by surviving the kiss unscathed (something he attributed to shock and a very quick departure) was it left him obsessed with the idea of a repeat. Sighing to himself at the very slim odds of that ever happening, he picked up what remained of his sandwich and took a bite. Didn't have much time left to his lunch break; no need to waste it mooning over what would never be.

Hearing the little jingle of the bell, Danny turned to see who'd come in, and blinked as the man currently occupying his thoughts ambled towards one of the window booths and slid in, facing away from Danny. Unlike the bar a couple weeks ago, seeing Bert Bobbsey here came as no surprise at all. The fine establishment was owned and operated by one Dinah Johnson, so that slogan on the wall, "Just like home cookin'", never held truer than when one of the customers was a member of the Bobbsey clan. Well, maybe her husband, but then the two were treated as members of that family anyway.

Danny stood up and threw down more than enough money to cover the cost of his meal, then walked over and dropped into the seat across from Bert. Bert's jerked his head up from the menu; was he quickly masked his look of surprise with a more neutral one, arching his scarred eyebrow questioningly.

Danny kept a fairly neutral look on his face, as well. He couldn't quite believe he'd actually sat down with the man. With a slight nod in the direction of the menu that Bert was holding, Danny said, "I wouldn't think you'd need to read that."

"While I have more than a passing knowledge of the contents," Bert admitted as he closed the menu, "it's a way to pass the time while I wait. Now I have a rather unexpected way to kill the time while I wait."

Danny's widened his eyes a little in surprise. He'd expected Bert to tell him to get lost, not basically invite him to stay. This made what he actually wanted to do a bit easier. Taking in the people around them, some of whom had taken a less than subtle interest in what was happening in booth, he leaned closer to Bert and quietly said, "Um, I just wanted to apologize for... Well, for what happened the other night."

Bert gave a dismissive wave. "I assumed that..." He paused for a moment, then continued with a smirk. "You had too much tequila, if I remember correctly."

Danny grinned sheepishly once Bert was finished. The conversation so far was taking on a much friendlier tone than he'd expected when he made his way over to the booth. He wasn't exactly sure why he suddenly felt the need to apologize; it wasn't like he was actually sorry he'd done it. Maybe he'd thought that if he saw exactly how much Bert didn't enjoy it, he could get himself to stop obsessing on it happening again. If that was the case, this conversation was failing miserably, because Bert wasn't acting as if he found Danny's actions all that awful. At this rate he might not get back to his regularly scheduled thoughts any time soon.

Settling back against the window, Danny gave a little shrug and admitted, "Tequila has led many a man to do crazy things."

Bert rubbed the back of his neck as he looked at Danny thoughtfully. His hair had fallen forward across his forehead and was looking a bit too adorable for Danny's continued sanity. If the man wasn't careful he might get a repeat performance, and this time neither could blame it on alcohol. Danny really hoped that whatever Bert was working up to say would be snide enough to put them back on familiar ground.

Those hopes were dashed when Bert finally leaned forward and said, "I have to admit, I was really surprised to see you there. Your reputation around town has you pegged as a love 'em and leave 'em ladies' man, not a..." He finished the sentence with a little wave of his hand.

Danny was glad that Bert was careful about being overheard. He doubted that the other man was actually aware of how much attention some of the other patrons were paying to the conversation. Although even if he were, Bert wasn't the type to be overly concerned, at least when it came to himself. It was likely, Danny realized that he was being considerate of the efforts Danny had made to keep that part of his life secret, a fact that was not helping Danny's already overactive imagination. He had enough strikes against him in this town without adding being gay -- or more accurately, bisexual -- to the list, at least for the more intolerant. Before he had a chance to respond, however, a cheerful voice cut across the table.

"Daniel Rugg," Nan Bobbsey chirped as she rested against his side of the booth, a big shit-eating grin plastered on. "Of all the people I would expect to see keeping my brother company while he was waiting, you were dead last. Hell, I'd expect a few to _rise_ from the dead and be here before you."

As she was speaking, Danny slid across the seat and stood up. Brushing past her, he simply said, "I'm sure he's very happy you showed up to rescue him."

The truth was, though, he couldn't be sure of that, not from the bemused look on Bert's face. Danny tried not to think about that too much as he walked out of the diner as quickly as he could without breaking into an official run. He had no interest in hearing anything Nan or Bert might say to him or each other on the matter. If someone called him on it, though, he'd write it off as being late getting back to lunch. As manager, he liked to set a good example for the employees, after all.

* * *

  
"I know you did it because of the tequila, but I still have to wonder about the motive that the booze fueled."

The unexpected comment made Danny jump. He'd had no idea that anyone was even standing in the doorway of his office, let alone the man currently occupying his thoughts. Glaring at Bert, who was casually leaning against the doorframe to Danny's left, his desk was against the same wall as the door, Danny snapped, "Is your lunch with you sister over already?"

Bert smirked as he entered the room and closed the door behind him, then leaned against that. "No, actually, it's not, I'm still at the diner talking to her. What you have here in front of you is an apparition."

Danny almost believed that. If it weren't for that fact that Bert had closed the door, it seemed more likely that his brain had in fact conjured the man up than that Bert had actually hunted him down. Latching on to that all-important fact for the sake of his sanity, he retorted, "Figments of one's imagination don't generally go around closing doors."

Bert gave a quiet chuckle. "You got me there."

"Is there a reason you're here?" Danny asked. Gesturing toward the pile of paper on his desk, he added, "Otherwise, I got a lot of work to do."

"I believe I stated my reason at the start of our conversation," Bert reminded him.

Danny's eyes grew huge as he turned his chair toward Bert, and leaned forward. "You were serious?"

"I was," Bert admitted. "And you know me, once my curiosity is piqued, I need answers."

"Yeah, I'm familiar with that annoying quirk in your family," Danny replied. Settling back in his chair again, he stared at the man for a moment before replying, "I hope you're not looking for anything too involved, because it's simple, really. It was your lips."

"My lips?" Bert appeared genuinely perplexed by his answer. Didn't the man own a mirror?

Tossing his pen on his desk, Danny lost his mind and gave an honest answer. "Yes, your lips. They're full and pouty, the kind of lips some might describe as irresistibly kissable. That moment in the bar, I turned into one of those people and did just that."

As he spoke, Bert put his hand up to his mouth as though discovering it for the first time. The other man's fingers lightly brushed across his own slightly parted lips, a movement that had Danny transfixed, as it was hot as hell and had him imagining all sorts of other things that he'd like to do that mouth.

Despite that, Danny wished his mouth hadn't gotten ahead of his poor addled brain, but in for a dime, in for a dollar. "I hope you weren't expecting anything else, like I'd planned to drag you to the bathroom, or maybe even a hotel room, and fuck your brains out."

He leaned forward as he spoke, his arms resting on his legs, a smirk forming on his face. Danny hadn't meant to make the original comment, but he was enjoying throwing Bert off balance. Or he was, until Bert left the door and stood directly in front of him, hands on his hips. This placed Danny's eyes at groin level, and the bulge in the slightly tighter-than-necessary jeans suggested that the man was not lacking in that department, something he had happily avoided noticing up to this moment.

"Can't say either of these reasons were what I was expecting," Bert stated, rocking a little on his feet. "That was more along the lines of you _attempting_ to piss me off for interrupting your conversation. But then you left in a hurry, after realizing how dumb – and ineffective -- a move it was."

Danny strained his neck a little looking up at Bert; the guy was tall, and he standing very close. His brain stuck on the implication that the kiss hadn't been a good way to piss Bert off, so he wasn't able to articulate much more than a "Huh?"

Bert gave a little chuckle before expanding on his own theory. "Well, guys _do_ go to that bar to hook up, and you could have been chatting up the bartender, who was definitely hot. In that case, my interrupting would be unwelcome even if you had somehow got on the topic of me. And kissing me wouldn't be a great way to impress a guy you're trying to pick up, so the night was kind of a write off after that."

Danny had to concede that Bert's theory made a lot of sense. In fact, he wished something like that had occurred to him, because it would be a hell of a lot easier to deal with than the honesty he'd gone with. Now he'd confessed at least a passing attraction to the man, or at least his lips. Deciding to distract himself from some the dirtier thoughts racing around his mind (though who could blame him, he _was_ at crotch level), Danny took a deep breath and said, "You became the topic of conversation when he suggested we'd get a cheaper drunk and become best buds if we moved ourselves to Riley's Pub. After all, you didn't seem interested in any pick-ups and seemed just as set on getting drunk as I was. I found the idea of us as buds pretty funny."

Not exactly the truth, but not exactly a lie, either. Riley's, cheap drinking, and best buddies were all mentioned. And while it did reveal an awareness of Bert's behavior at the bar that night, it put the focus of it on the bartender, not him.

Finally sitting back in his chair due to a kink in his neck, Danny noticed that Bert's mouth was twisted, and he was tapping his fingers along his hips in agitation. Giving a deep sigh, Bert admitted, "I didn't want to be there. Not my scene, really, but it was my friend's way of cheering me up."

Danny massaged the knot in his neck as he replied, "Not that close a friend if he doesn't know you don't like those kind of places."

It did explain why they had never crossed paths before. Though bigger than Lakeport, the city was still fairly small, with only a few choices for those with an "alternative" lifestyle. The bar in question was the only one that Danny tended to use when he went up there.

Bert shrugged and looked away from Danny for the first time since he'd invaded the office. "I guess..." he murmured, before saying a little more clearly, "I guess I'll leave you to your work, now that my curiosity has been sated."

On that note the whole surreal conversation was brought to an end as Bert turned on his heel and left.

* * *

  
Danny had settled in for a night of TV watching. Not his usual Saturday evening at home, but the conversation he'd had earlier in the week with Bert had left him a little rattled. The enforced company of his fellow employees was pretty much all he could handle, and that was likely to be the case until he got some of the fantasies currently haunting him under better control. If he did go out and pick up a woman, who knows what might come out of his mouth during sex; it was better to stay in the safety of his apartment.

The knock on the door came as a bit of surprise; no one ever just dropped by his apartment for a visit. Well, his mother or father might, but not on a Saturday night. The only one who might have done so was Billy, and he upped and deserted Danny for the West Coast a few years ago. Danny would have shaken off the dust of the old town himself, but he was worried about what would happen to his mom if he left. Someone needed to run interference for those times his dad got in one of his moods. He wished he could get her to leave him, even the town itself, but that would never agree.

Heaving a deep sigh, Danny pushed himself out of his comfortable chair and went to open the door. He was dumbfounded by who he saw standing there, which is probably the only reason his visitor managed to shove past him and into the small hallway.

"I've been thinking," Bert said, once inside the apartment.

Danny blinked blindly at the now empty space just outside his door before slamming it shut. Then more to the door than his visitor, he said, "And you felt the need to come over and tell me?"

"Yes," Bert confirmed with a nod of his head. "It was about something you said, so you were the most logical choice to share it with."

"Something I said?" Danny turned around, puzzled. He couldn't remember saying anything that would have Bert appearing on his doorstep. Waving for him to follow, Danny headed back to the living area. The timing of the visit irked him a little, and he expressed his displeasure along the way. "I think I should be insulted that you'd even try here on a Saturday night."

"Took a chance," Bert said behind him. "And here you are."

Standing by his chair, Danny turned to look at him again. Bert appeared slightly flustered. "So, what were you thinking about? And how is it my fault?"

"You mentioned that you found my mouth attractive," Bert stated, and Danny cursed whoever it was who had said that honesty was the best policy.

When it appeared that was all Bert was going to say, he prompted, "So?"

Rubbing the back of his neck and looking downright embarrassed, Bert continued, "So, maybe you'd find other parts of me interesting enough to, you know..."

Danny blinked rapidly. Either he had fallen asleep in front of the TV, or he was hallucinating. But neither explanation really worked, as the Bert in his fantasies tended to be cocky and self-assured, whereas the one in front of him was downright nervous and self-conscious. The situation required some clarification so he asked, despite the screaming in his head to just go with it, "I thought you weren't into that sort of thing? One night stands?"

"I meant I wasn't into picking up strangers in bars," Bert explained as he looked anywhere but at Danny. "This is not a bar, and you are definitely not a stranger."

Danny gaped as the voice in his head pointed out that this meant not only would he get another kiss, but oh, so much more and not to screw this up. Danny ignored that voice and said, "I thought I'd be worse than a stranger. Guess you figured you'd hit on the only other person in town-"

Bert cut him off. "A - You're bi, not gay. B - We are definitely not the only two in town. C - Why wouldn't I be interested in having sex with a good-looking guy-"

It was Danny's turn to interrupt, ignoring that part of his brain doing a happy dance, He pointed out the best reason he could come up with as to why this would be a bad idea. "Our history."

"Is just that, history," Bert said in a reasonable tone.

Rather than respond to that, Danny simply let the crazy side of his brain take over and moved well into Bert's personal space. Once again he planted a kiss on those lush lips that had been taunting him in his dreams.

This time the experience was very different. As they were both standing, Danny had to reach up to access the tantalizing mouth, but he didn't need the benefit of surprise to deepen the kiss. The lips under his opened very willingly, and Danny pushed Bert back against the wall as his tongue took in the taste and feel of him. Bert slid his hand up through the hair on the back of Danny's head to hold him in place. As Danny's tongue retreated, Bert's followed in a mirror of Danny's earlier exploration.

Eventually they broke apart, and Bert gasped, "I'll take that as a yes?"

Danny chuckled breathlessly as he nibbled and sucked his way down the side of Bert's throat. "If you insist."

After that there was little conversation; there were grunts, and groans, a few words, maybe even half-formed sentences escaped from time to time. Their frantic making out against the wall led to the rushed removal of clothing, and then more frantic making out on the floor. Wearing only their underwear, the two rubbed desperately against each other as the tension grew, but it wasn't enough. Danny took a more direct approach, sliding his hand down Bert's boxers. Bert soon followed suit, and the two men jerked each other off.

* * *

  
Danny stared at the two men chatting at the end of the aisle, and he didn't even bother to hide his stares from anyone who might pass by - not that Bert had noticed him at all.

It was the first time he had seen Bert since the fun but awkward visit to his apartment last Saturday. Bert had made a joke about getting to see Danny's room the next time, but hadn't said anything about when that next time might be. Despite the fact the Danny had started the physical part of the evening, he'd simply followed Bert's lead; the whole them having sex thing had been his idea.

And now there Bert was, deep in conversation with his younger brother about who knew what, but it seemed rather important to the two of them. Danny noted for the first time that despite Bert being no slouch in the height department, Freddie was actually a couple of inches taller. With his curly blond hair and bright blue eyes, most would argue that he was the better looking of the two. Danny, however, had found Bert the more attractive even before the crazy turn his life had taken.

His observation didn't go overlooked for long. After a few minutes of blatant staring, Danny caught Freddie's attention, and of course he pointed him out to Bert. Bert turned and flashed Danny a quick smile before focusing once again on his brother, answering something Freddie had said to him. It got a laugh out of Bert, whatever it was. With a gleam in his eye, Freddie leaned over and whispered in his brother's ear. Danny couldn't see Bert's face, but he saw Bert shake his head. The conversation didn't last much longer after that, and then Bert gave his brother a slap on the shoulder and started walking toward Danny.

Raising his eyebrows - he couldn't do the single eyebrow thing that Bert could - Danny asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Shopping," Bert shot back with a laugh. "It is a store, after all. You should know that, since you are the manager."

Danny shook his head; he'd walked right into that. "If you're shopping with your brother, shouldn't you be shopping with your brother?"

"He was curious about the non-hostile stare," Bert said. Leaning closer, he whispered, "I told him you wanted to fuck me and were willing me to come over and say when."

That teasing response hit a little too close to Danny's actual thoughts, so his voice was harsher than he intended when he snapped, "You absolutely did not say that."

"You got me," Bert laughed. "What I actually said was that you were probably pissed off we were blocking the display, chatting and not buying. Freddie was the one who brought up the whole fucking thing."

Danny's mouth dropped open. Bert sounded serious, and Danny had trouble wrapping his head around it.

"My family is aware of my inclinations," Bert reminded him. He had mentioned that fact on Saturday, when Danny said that his parents, much like the rest of the town, had no idea about him.

"Yeah, but..." Danny started to say something, except he had no idea what he actually wanted to come after the "but".

"You're an attractive guy," Bert said. "We have a history where such a comment could be funny. It might have been funnier if I'd told him what had happened between us, but this didn't really seem like the time or place."

"He might've had an aneurism," Danny replied. "You know, from the shock."

"I doubt he'd take it that badly," Bert said with a shake of his head. "You need to stop thinking the whole idea is impossible, especially since it's already real. And as such, I did actually come over to see if you wanted to get together again this Saturday?"

"Saturday?" Danny parroted, and Bert nodded. "Um, sure, same time I guess."

"All right, then," Bert said, giving Danny a little slap on the arm like the one he'd given Freddie. "I'll see you then, and maybe this time I'll get to see a bit more of that apartment of yours."

* * *

  
Danny sat at the small table in his kitchen, his fingers tapping on the surface, as he brooded over his evening plans. He was concerned about having an appointment for sex (it definitely wasn't a date) in Lakeport, when he had always made a point of only hooking up away from his home town. It wasn't like he could ask Bert to go up to the city just to have sex; if nothing else, that wouldn't be very convenient.

Danny supposed that there was little risk of anyone working out what was happening. Even if someone were to see Bert around, it would be a hell of a leap to conclude they were doing what they were doing. _Danny_ was having trouble believing they were doing what they were doing, so he couldn't see how anyone else would ever believe it.

The knock on the door startled Danny out of his thoughts. At least this Saturday there was no surprise regarding who was on the other side. Admittedly he had no idea what the protocol was for these types of rendezvous; he had only ever picked up strangers up to now. Last week didn't count, because he'd been caught completely off guard and unprepared.

Danny blinked as Bert shucked off his jacket and hung it up. The man was prone to wearing button downs, not tight-fitting T-shirts, so up until last Saturday Danny had had a fine excuse for not knowing there was a well-defined torso to go with those broad shoulders he admired. But now that he had seen the man practically naked it seemed a crime he had missed something so obvious. Exactly how fried had his brain been after the endorphin rush? He definitely had to be more thorough tonight.

Clearing his throat, Danny asked, "Want a beer?" Alcohol was always a good way to break the ice.

"Yeah, sure," Bert answered. At least the man had the decency to look as unsure as Danny felt about how exactly this was going to unfold.

Shoving the man into the living room, Danny ducked into the kitchen and grabbed two beers. When he joined Bert, he was studying Danny's DVD collection. Danny walked over and tapped him on the shoulder with one of the beer bottles, handing to him when he turned around.

"You could have made yourself comfortable, taken a seat," Danny said as he opened his own bottle. He looked around the room and realized it was very impersonal for someone's home. No pictures on the walls or tables, just furniture, including a very large plasma TV that dominated the room. Danny had never really thought about it before, but it might make a rather cold impression on anyone visiting. Danny gave himself a mental shake; this wasn't a situation where he needed to worry about the impression he made, except for his actions in the bedroom. Once again lost in his thoughts, a very recent development, he missed what Bert had asked.

"What?" he asked distractedly.

"Bill?" Bert repeated, getting Danny's attention. "I was asking if you'd heard from him lately."

"Yeah, got an email from him this week." Danny wondered why Bert was asking. He was probably just making small talk. "He got himself a girlfriend."

Bert, who was now sitting on the arm of the sofa, took a big swig of his beer. "What's she like?"

"He didn't say all that much about her," Danny admitted as he crossed the room and stood in front of his guest. Taking another gulp of his own beer, Danny studied him, wondering if he was really interested. "She looked a little hippy-ish in the picture he sent."

"Well, he did move to the West Coast," Bert chuckled.

Danny rolled his eyes. "Not everyone on the West Coast is a hippy."

"Of course not," Bert said, laughing. "But they do have more than their fair share. Especially given the area he moved to."

Reaching over and snagging Danny's waistband and dragging him closer, Bert suggested, "You should tell him I was asking about him and said hi, that'll freak him out."

Danny laughed, shaking his head slightly at the very idea. Resting his arms on those sturdy shoulders, he replied, "'Freaked' is not the word I'd choose, but there would definitely be a strong reaction"

Bert reached up and grabbed Danny's shirt, pulling his face down toward him. Once close enough he planted a searing kiss on Danny's mouth before saying, "I know we had a good time on that carpet last week, but I really do think we should try somewhere a little more comfortable this time around."

"Afraid of a little carpet burn, are we?" Danny smirked, and then sighed like he was being quite put-upon. "I guess I could manage something. I do have a bedroom that might work."

"Poor guy," Bert offered in false sympathy. "The things you have to go through for sex."

Taking Bert by the hand, Danny half lead, half dragged him into his bedroom. He wasn't sure if he was anxious to get started, or for it to be over. It wasn't every day a guy got to have sex with his childhood enemy. He ignored the part of his brain that reminded him that it was technically the second time, because the previous Saturday was too blurry to count. This time he was going to go slow and remember everything.

Danny had half-expected Bert to study his bedroom the way that he had everything in the living room, but instead he simply plopped himself on the bed with a bounce and said, "Comfy and a nice size. This'll do nicely."

Danny took the bottle of beer from him before he spilled it and placed it on the dresser. There was only going to be one way that bed got wet spots, and it wasn't going to be from beer. Then he set himself down next to Bert and smiled hesitantly. "Glad it meets your expectations."

Reaching over, Bert put his hand on the back of Danny's head and pulled him in for a kiss. It looked like the small talk part of the evening was over. Danny wasn't about to complain as he tilted his head to allow deeper access to his mouth. This was why Bert was here, and everything else was superfluous. He was disappointed when Bert pulled away to breathe, but that hot mouth started planting kisses along his jaw line, and then sucking and nibbling along the top of his neck, just under his ear. A shiver ran through Danny at the touch. Bert untucked Danny's shirt, his hands running up Danny's back, moulding him to Bert's body.

Danny grasped the hem of Bert's T-shirt, pushing it up as he ran his own hands over the muscles of his chest, thinking that the skin was surprisingly soft. Bert pulled back once again, this time to quickly remove his shirt, and Danny quickly mimicked the move. Skin against skin was a highly desirable development, and the quicker they got there the better.

Bert returned to his attack on Danny's neck while Danny started running his hands over any part of the torso he could access, taking in the contours of the other man's body. Due to the angle at which Bert was currently working on his neck, there wasn't much else he could really do. Bert had one hand at Danny's back, pressing their upper bodies together, while he massaged Danny's cock through the fabric of his jeans with the heel of his other hand. When Bert removed his mouth from Danny's neck, Danny's head lolled forward against Bert's shoulder. He planted a kiss there before tucking his head in the crook of Bert's neck and starting to suck on the sensitive area there.

Danny felt Bert's breath against his neck and a hand running lightly down his back as Bert quietly murmured, "Gorgeous."

He felt the hand at his crotch pop the button and unzip his zipper, then Bert was sliding both hands along the sides of his waistband, pushing the clothing out of the way. Danny shifted slightly to allow Bert to push them all the way off. He figured the man was getting better access for his hand, so he was surprised when Bert shot him an evil grin and slid off the bed and on to his knees, taking the head of Danny's cock into his mouth.

The sudden heat wrapped around his cock made him twitch in pleasure. Running his hands through Bert's hair as encouragement, Danny closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensations created by the tongue swirling around his shaft. As the hot mouth moved up and down, Bert started humming, and the vibrations pushed Danny closer to the edge. Bert ran a hand ran across the sensitive skin of his inner thigh, before moving on to fondle his balls. Danny glanced down; oh, he'd been right, those lips did look good wrapped around his cock.

He would have loved to keep it going forever, but he was much too close, so he tugged on Bert's hair and grunted a warning. Bert pulled back with reluctant pop as he pulled his mouth off Danny's cock. He quickly moved up and captured Danny's mouth, pushing his tongue in as he pushed Danny back on to the bed. His hand grabbed Danny's cock, now slick from his spit. and started jerking motions that had Danny moaning into Bert's mouth. Given how close he had been before Bert had stopped the blow job, it didn't take long for Danny to come.

He lay there with his eyes closed, breathing heavily, as he felt Bert clean his cock and lower abdomen with something soft. He suspected it was the man's tee.

Opening his eyes, he looked up to see Bert smirking at him. "Enjoyed that, did you?"

"A little," Danny joked, holding his hand up with his fingers spaced slightly apart.

Bert gave a bark of laughter, and then tugged the two of them up so they were lying on the bed properly, instead of across it. Once he had Danny settled, Bert shucked his own pants and lay down next to him. Danny raked his eyes over the now naked body lying beside him. Bert was definitely well-portioned and muscular, though not overly so. His eyes finally fixed on Bert's very erect penis, and the part of his brain still working post-orgasm reminded him that it was only polite to reciprocate. Rolling to his side, he slid the nightstand drawer open and grabbed the tube of lube he kept there. Once he had what he needed, Danny rolled back over so that he was half-lying on Bert, covering his mouth in kiss. Putting a little of the lube on the palm of his hand, he reached down and gripped Bert's cock and started sliding up and down the shaft. As Bert grunted at the sensation, Danny kissed him again, tongue-fucking the man's mouth, timing the motions with that of his hand as best he could. His onslaught was relentless, and he soon felt Bert bucking beneath him. Pulling back because he wanted to see Bert when he came, it only took a few more jerks before he had the knowledge he sought.

A few minutes later, in between deep breaths, Bert gasped, "That was intense."

Danny gave a nod as he reached around on the bed. His hand landed on something soft, and pulling it to him, he confirmed that Bert had used his own shirt to clean earlier. Danny guessed that made it okay to use it again to return the favor.

Once done, he laid back down so that he was still half on Bert. He studied the face now so close to his that he could see Bert's pores. It wasn't like he'd had time to take in much while they were making out, so Danny took the time now, while they rested. He reached up and traced the scar above Bert's eyebrow, the one he'd put there all those years ago.

"At least I don't have to explain how I got it," Bert joked, as he felt Danny's fingers on his forehead. "And I got to say, I didn't think you'd be a snuggler. Could ruin your bad boy image."

Danny snorted, "I don't snuggle."

"Fine," Bert conceded with a laugh. "This is not snuggling."

Danny glared, but didn't move. "Damn right it isn't."

* * *

  
A fist crashed down on a jaw. While Danny was willing to let the accusations and slurs slide, there was no way he was going to let the scrawny brat get away with pushing him around. He had shoved Danny so hard he'd almost fallen flat on his back, and as far as he was concerned, that made physical retaliation justified.

When he was younger, Danny wouldn't have given a fight any thought, but he was attempting to be an adult. It didn't always work, especially when snot-nose punks went out of their way to start one.

It wasn't a long fight, however, as a voice from behind called out, "What the hell do you think you are doing?"

Turning on his heel, Danny swayed slightly as he focused on the man shouting at him. He might have consumed a little more alcohol than he thought. He could hear the younger man shuffling around behind him. It would appear the kid had a little sense, as he didn't try anything after Danny turned his back on him. He had half-expected the little shit to strike back.

"Had a little disagreement," Danny replied; he couldn't place the older man. Jerking his head toward the guy standing behind him he added, "He had some crazy ideas that I was dissuading him from."

"Looked more like starting a fight," the man said as he crossed his arms and glared at Danny. "Not all that surprising, I guess, given you are you."

Danny threw his hands up in frustration and was about to correct the man's assumption when another person did just that for him.

"I'd argue that Mr. Jacobs started the altercation," Nan Bobbsey said as she strolled into Danny's line of sight. "He was expressing his crazy ideas physically as well as verbally."

"Listen to the lady, she's a lawyer and knows all about those types of things," Danny said with a little shake of his head. He was starting to think that Bert had hit him way back in that bar, and he was stuck in a bizarre dream while lying in coma at a hospital somewhere.

The older man's mouth had dropped open in shock, but the kid, Peter Jacobs, was unimpressed by Nan's appearance. He was still fairly new to Lakeport and was unaware of the history, so he simply saw an interfering woman. "Why don't you mind your own business?"

Having gathered his wits about him, the older man commented, "Ms. Bobbsey, you'll excuse me. It's a little unexpected to hear you sticking up for Mr. Rugg."

"Just calling it the way I saw it," Nan replied smoothly. "We were undecided on what the best course of action to take when the argument got physical. The two of us couldn't exactly be expected to break up a fight."

Leaning over slightly, Danny took in the presence of one Nellie Parks who was standing quietly behind her friend. She gave him a small wave, and he nodded a greeting in return. He then looked the two women over; they were dressed very similarly, down to the fact that they both had their long hair tied up in ponytails. You would almost think they were the twins, not Nan and Bert. Fraternal twins don't need to have matching hair colour or eyes.

"We were trying to catch up with Danny when we saw Mr. Jacobs approach him," Nan went on to explain.

Danny gave the women a quizzical glance. "You wanted to talk to me?"

"Not to worry, we weren't going to pick a fight," Nan said in a voice that was reassuring. She scrunched up her nose a little and tapped her finger against her lips for a few moments, and then in a more threatening tone added, "At least not yet."

"We aren't going to pick a fight at any time," Nellie said quietly from behind her.

Nan gave her friend's words a dismissive wave and retorted, "That really depends on Danny."

The man in question groaned to himself. He shouldn't be that surprised that she knew; after all Bert had said more than once he wasn't good at keeping things from his family, and he was willing to bet that the woman standing in front of him was the biggest challenge of all. Still, what right did she think she had to talk to him about anything? Just because he'd been sleeping with her twin for a few-- His eyes grew wider as realized, a few _months_. How had he missed that? It appeared he had managed to get himself into a relationship, and an exclusive one, at that, without even noticing.

"I do believe he's caught on, Nellie," Nan said drolly, eliciting a laugh from Nellie and a confused look from Peter Jacobs, who from some reason wasn't smart enough to leave, unlike the older man.

"Hey, I'm talking to the bastard." Peter interrupted a glaring match that had broken out between Danny and Nan. The two turned to stare at him, as both had forgotten he was even there.

"He's not sleeping with your girlfriend," Nan snapped at the man. "I can assure you that's not happening. I would know."

"She actually would," Danny admitted. He was fully aware of Nan's tendency to be overprotective of family in general, and her twin brother in particular. If she knew what was going on between him and Bert, then she had probably been keeping an eye on him. "She's a little crazy like that."

"Why?" Peter asked. "She's obviously not sleeping with you since she's a lesbian, here with her girlfriend and everything. Are you sleeping with some relative of hers or something?"

Danny had to grimace over how accurate the younger man's guess was. If he wasn't careful either he'd be outing himself or Nan would, not that she'd really care.

"Listen carefully," Nan stated firmly. "You are barking up the wrong tree. Now go away." She gave a wave of her hand to indicate he should skedaddle.

Or maybe she'd be nice about the whole thing. Danny had half-expected her to snap something about him and Bert right then and there. It wasn't like she was protecting Bert by saying nothing. He might not have taken out an announcement in the local paper, but he wasn't exactly hiding in the closet, either. She could have gotten rid of the man quickly by answering his question. Danny doubted Peter could wrap his head around the concept of bisexuality.

"It can't be your sister," Peter mused, now hung up on his own idea. "She looks way too much of a prissy little goody-goody prude to do anything as bold as cheat on her boyfriend."

Danny never got hear Nan's response to that as Nellie came up behind him and said quietly, "Now the kid is in trouble."

"Insulting a sibling?" Danny replied, turning to look at her. "I should think so. He just turned what most would consider a virtue into a vice."

"I was going more with the highly inconsistent attitude," Nellie explained. "One minute he's literally attacking you for allegedly cheating with his girlfriend, the next he's calling Flossie names because she won't do the same. That kind of hypocrisy annoys her to no end."

Danny gave a nod. "He does seem to be able to jump to all sorts of conclusions based on nothing, so he could probably figure out how the two aren't really contradictory at all."

"But he did reach a correct conclusion, as you are sleeping with a relative," Nellie reminded him. "I'm not sure how he got there, but he did."

Danny rolled his eyes. "It's because the universe hates me and wants me to die a painful death."

"That's only going to happen if he manages to jump further and conclude it's a male relative." Nellie said. Danny just glared at her. "Actually, there is another way the universe can achieve that."

"Just because I managed to accidentally find myself in some sort of relationship doesn't automatically mean happy ever after," Danny snapped. "In fact, I'm pretty sure it will somehow end in disaster."

"Believe me, Nan is more than aware that relationships don't always work out," Nellie replied. She tilted her head slightly as she took in Danny's defensive stance. "I'm referring more to an unnatural death. A relationship not running its full course, that sort of thing."

"Unnatural?" Danny wasn't sure what she meant.

"You know, doing something stupid like getting caught in bed with a woman, or man, or a duck even." Nellie explained. "They'll never find the bodies."

Danny stared at the woman slack-jawed for a few moments before managing to stutter, "D-d-duck?"

"Okay, she probably wouldn't kill the duck," Nellie conceded, deliberately misinterpreting his question. "Poor creature wouldn't really understand what was happening to it."

Before Danny got to comment further, Nan interrupted them. "Your whatever is gone." She gestured in the general direction that Peter had been standing.

"Forgetting English, are we?" It was odd for the elder of the Bobbsey daughters to not have an appropriate word at hand.

"I believe my IQ dropped several points during that conversation," Nan confessed. Giving her head a small shake, she looked nervously at Danny. "I have some good news for you, he no longer thinks you're sleeping with his girlfriend."

"I don't want to know why, do I?" Danny asked.

"Probably not," Nan admitted, rubbing her neck, a nervous tic she shared with her brother. "He decided that you were only flirting with her to mislead people since you're secretly gay. He was undecided who you were being gay with when he left to break the news to her."

Danny sighed, "I am so dead."

Nan ignored the comment. There wasn't really much she could say. Instead she attempted to broach the topic she really wanted to discuss with him. "About you are sleeping my brother--"

"I already had the conversation with her." Danny pointed at Nellie as he cut off Nan.

"And you understood?" Nan asked him.

"Everything except the part about the duck," Danny replied. If he was going to have strange images haunting him, then everyone was going down with him.

Nan glanced over at Nellie as she made a gurgling sound. Seeing that she was in fact alright, she turned back to Danny. "The duck?"

"The duck," Danny mimicked, before adding, "As in who the fuck sleeps with a duck?"

Based on the extremely confused look on Nan's face, it was clear that the question hadn't helped her understand at all. She offered, "Other ducks?"

At that point Nellie let loose with the laughter she had been holding back. She had to crouch down as she was laughing so hard she looked like she'd fall over, tears streaming down her cheeks. Not that the duck thing was all that funny, except at the moment, it seemed it really was to her. It broke the tension that had been hanging between the other two, who were now looking at Nellie as though they agreed on one thing - she had lost it.

* * *

  
Danny stared up at the white ceiling thinking about how he really was in a relationship with Bert. It wasn't just about sex, though that was how it started. They hung out and talked, shared meals, and he had even rearranged the living room so that they could sit comfortably together and watch movies. It was the same as dating, except it all happened inside his apartment. Maybe he should talk to Bert about actually defining what they had and maybe going out on actual date. If Bert was interested.

He heard a movement to his right and glanced away from the ceiling to see the man in question standing beside his bed. That was unexpected.

"You're awake," Bert stated the obvious. "I was wondering when that would happen."

"Was I out a while?" Danny asked as he shifted in the bed. He immediately ceased all movement when a shot of pain went through him.

"How'd you know I was here?"

"You were brought into an ER where both my sister and Nellie work," Bert reminded him. "There was no way I couldn't know. It's more which one got to me first."

Danny gave a slight nod and winced in pain.

"That's it," Bert said reaching for the nurse call button, "I'm getting you something for the pain."

Danny grabbed his arm. "No. It fogs my brain and makes me sleepy, and I don't want to go to sleep, not right now."

"So, am I supposed to stand here and let you suffer?" Bert asked, his puzzlement showing on his face.

"I'm the one who feels like I've been punched in the head and kicked in the ribs," Danny said, "not you. If it ever is you, then you can decide on the pain killers."

Bert shot him a look of pure frustration. "You feel like that because you _were_ punched in the head and kicked in the ribs, several times."

Danny gave a little chuckle and immediately regretted it. "Don't make me laugh, please?"

"If you took your pain meds it probably wouldn't hurt as much," Bert pointed out.

"I need to ask some questions and I need a clear head." Reading Bert's next question on his face, he added, "And no, it can't wait."

Sighing, Bert said, "Your mother is the one who stopped him. Hit your father with frying pan. He has a concussion from his head wound, unlike you. You were lucky, no broken bones, either."

Danny found the news comforting. His mother had stood up for him. He didn't share his reaction, though, and instead continued with his intended question. "And you came?"

"What?" Bert snapped, looking more than a little offended. "Of course I came. When someone you care about ends up in the hospital, you generally make a point of going to see them."

"Good to know," Danny replied quietly. He wasn't really used to anyone other than his mom caring at all.

Carefully sitting on the edge of the bed, Bert leaned over Danny, hands on either side of his head, and gazed down at him fondly. "I went along with the secrecy because I had no doubts you were telling the truth when you talked about your dad. Otherwise, people would know. I don't give a damn about what people think, but I do worry about you getting hurt."

Leaning even further forward, Bert captured Danny's mouth in a kiss, and while he had him distracted pushed the nurse's call button. "And you are getting pain meds, whether you like it or not."

Tilting his head slightly, Danny took in the now lit button. He gave a little grin as it sunk in just how much the other man cared, being all sneaky about getting the nurse. He should be pissed that he had gone against his wishes, but it just made him feel warm and fuzzy inside (without the help of painkillers). Not that he was admitting any such thing to Bert, at least not yet. "And people think I'm devious."


End file.
